Many interviewers still ask some form of the questions “what do you consider one of your weaknesses” or “what one area where you seek improvement is”. In my opinion, these are two very different questions. There are some things I’m fantastic at, some things I’m good at, and some things that I just don’t do well at all. I’m sure the same holds true for you. No one is perfect. We all have areas in our lives in which we can improve. The key is to know which things are important enough to work on and which things don’t warrant a third thought.

People almost always express one of two ideas when they find out that I have a Master’s degree in social work; (1) They think I’m a counselor or therapist; or (2) They think I snatch children from their families and put them in foster care. This isn’t an exaggeration. What comes to mind when you think of a Social Worker?

I presented a workshop earlier this month and was asked by a volunteer if I feel my social work education prepared me for my career in social work. My answer was that my life and professional experiences prepared me for my education. I’m going to take you back to my high school days to begin my explanation.

Packaged For Success specializes in personal empowerment, career development, program management, and youth investment. We help women reclaim their power, dream bigger dreams, achieve success on their own terms.

Today, I want to introduce the Packaged For Success logo…HERE SHE IS!!What do you think of our logo? I would love to hear your feedback.

(Our Packaged For Success website is currently under construction…stay tuned!)

Nicki Sanders, Chief Visionary Officer of Packaged For Success, helps both youth and adults discover their personal power, dream big, and achieve success on their own terms. Ms. Sanders is an experienced trainer, group facilitator, and program manager who holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. Ms. Sanders has over fifteen years of direct experience with diverse populations in residential, school-based, and community based agencies.

What are the last 3 compliments you received…from anyone? It doesn’t matter if your five year old told you how delicious dinner tasted, your significant other told you how great you looked in your little black dress, or your boss thanked you for always meeting deadlines ahead of schedule. Have you thought of the compliments? Now ask yourself how they truly made you feel. How did you respond in each situation?

Did you accept each compliment graciously? Did you give yourself a few seconds to take it in and own it or did you minimize your abilities or beauty? Most of us have to admit that even if we said thank you, we added a negative phrase to the end of the acceptance. Why do we do this? I believe one reason is that many women have been taught that humility is a virtue. Humility is defined as the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people. That’s the good part, right? Of course it is. Being humble or “having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance” is the not so good part because you have lowered your self-worth. What we think affects how we speak and act. What we say affects what we think and how we behave.

Eliminating self-defeating thoughts is a daily journey that requires persistence, patience, and practice. Here are four steps to aid you in the process of moving away from negative thinking toward more positive thoughts.

Step 1 Record – Notice your thoughts. Get a small journal and record your negative thoughts for 48 hours. Yes, write down every negative thing that you say to yourself or about yourself for two full days.

Step 2 Reflect – Reflect on your thoughts and what brought them on. How do you feel?

Step 4 Recondition – It’s time to recondition your mind with uplifting and encouraging thoughts. What would you like to have said to yourself? Take out your journal and write the opposite of the negative thoughts you’ve recorded. Read the positive list aloud regularly,